Coffee-machine.



U. NELSON.

COFFEE MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED 11116.24, 1907.

1,054,284; Patented Feb. 25, 1913.

M Inventor fi a y iw Attorneys.

Witnesses oam UNITED STATEEEATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES NELSON, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 S. STERNAU & COMPANY, A COPARTNERSHIP COMIFOSED OF SIGMUND STERNAU AND LIONEL STBASSBURGER,

on NEW YORK, N. Y.

COFFEE-MACHINE.

Patented Feb. 25,1913.

Application filed August 24, 1907. Serial No. 389,997.

ogous purposes, which ma be embodied in what 1s termed a co ee machine, a coffee pot a tea 0t, etc, whlch Will make the infusion in t e minimum space ot time.

Further objects relate to the improvement in details of the device whereby it is made simple and cheap to manufacture and will.

not readily at out of order, and which may be readily c eaned.

Other objects of the invention will more fully appear in the following specification and accompanying drawings considered together or separately. v

In the drawings Figure 1 is a sectional view of a coffee machine embodying my invention. Fi 2 is a vertical section on an enlarged sca e of the lower portion of the fountain. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrow. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one form of valve. Fig. 5 is a vertical sec-- tion of the lower portion of a modified form of fountain; and Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5. Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the lower portion of a modified form of fountain.

In all of the views like parts are designated by the same reference characters.

In the drawings, 1 represents the body of the coffee machine, which may also be the body of the coffee pot, tea pot or other vessel. The coffee or other substance of which the infusion is to be made is carried within the perforated screen or sieve 2, which depends from the lower open end of the lass globe 3. The arrangement of the detai s of construction of the body, screen and globe is immaterial and may be varied within wide limits, the object being to provide a support for the material of which the infusion is to be made, and retaining it in a position-above the liquid in the body of the vessel and holdin it in position to be acted upon by the liquid ejected by the fountain,

which will permitthe liquid to percolatethrough the material and descend into the body of the vessel.

The fountain 4a is for the purpose of forcing a continuous or intermittent stream of hot liquid from the bottom of the body 1 to above the screen .2, allowin such liquid to pass through the screen an its contents. For'the purpose of reducing the quantity of liquid wh ch must be heated in order to cause the fountain to act, I provide at the lower portion of the body 1 a small chamber 55. This chamber communicates at its open upper end with the body 1. It is shown as comprising a cylindrical body portion, the bottom of which extends outward to form a flange 6. This flange is for the pur ose, when the device is used as a coffee mac ine, of conducting the heat to the chamber 5, and also as an insulator to keep the heat away from the bottom of the body 1. When used in connection with a coffee or tea pot, it serves the additional purpose of a' foot or'stand for the device. The upper portion of the chamber is formed with a smaller flange 7 Inside of theedge of this flange is a sleeve 8, the outer surface of which is screw-threaded for engagement with a nut 9. The opening in the bottom of the body 1 is slightly larger than the diameter of the sleeve 8 but smaller than the diameter of the flange 7. The nut 9 pinches the bottom of the body 1 against the flange 7 and makes a liquid tight joint. By removing the nut 9, the chamber 5 may be removed from the body 1. The space between the inside of the sleeve .8 and the inside of the body of the small chamber constitutes a seat or shoulder 10, upon which the fountain" 4 tests.

The fountain includes a tube 11, which constitutes an outlet passage, which is preferably vertical and open at both ends. The

upper end may be slightly contracted, as

casing 13, which rests upon the shoulder 10, The casing is best made. of apiece of tube, of slightly larger diameter than the largest portion of the tube 11. The lower portion of the outlet. passage lies concentrically within the casing,wh1ch is of tubular form, and constitutes an inlet passage. Y j

The upperjportion of the casing flares outward at 1 1, at about an angle of 45 degrees, as-shown in Fig. 2, although the flare may be horizontal, or substantiallyhorizontal, as shown in'Fig. 5, Beyond'the fiaringportion thecasing extends upward to 15 with non-flaring walls, and is provided-with .screw-threads. This screw threaded portion engages with a cover 16, which is permanently secured to the tube 11 and acts as a support for such tube. By means of the engagement of the cover withthe casing, the, .inlet and outlet passages are temporarily or removably secured together. The'lower portion of the casing 13 is connected to an air chamber 17, which has a flange 18, which rests upon the shdulder 10. The portion of the air chamber below the flange is such a size as to make a snug fit with the inside of the small chamber 5. The joint between the walls of the small chamber 5 and the air chamber is suflicien'tly tight to prevent circulation of liquid at that point. The purpose of the air chamber is to insulate the chamber 5 from the body 1.

The entrance of liquid from the body 1 into the fountain is by way of ports 19, which are located upon the flaring portion 14 of the casing 13, As many of these ports are used as is necessary, four being shown in Figs, 3 and 6. "These ports are adapted to be closed by a valve 20, the said valve acting to permit the ready entrance of liquid from the receptacle 1 into the casing 13 and. thence into the chamber 5. but closing the passage in the opposite direction.

One form of valve is shown in Fig. 4, the valve body having an inclined body adapted to rest upon the flaring portion of the casing 13. A slotted hollow stem 21 extends downward .in engagement with the in-' ner walls of the body of the casing so that the valve will be guided by engagement with such casing. The slots are for the purpose of permitting passage of liquid, from the ports into the chamber 5. In the modification shown in Fig. 5the valve is in the form of a flat disk or washer, with a central opening which loosely surrounds the tube 12. The washer is guided in place when moved by engagementof its periphery with the upturned portion of the casing.

The operation of the device is as follows: When used in connection with acofiee machine, the coflee or other material of which nosaasa within the body 1, and assumes a certain ,definiteheighttherein. The water will enter the outletJpassage by passing through the ports 19and descendinglin the casin or inlet passage into'the hamberfi5, wil

rise in the tube 11, and occupy the same height as the water in the body 1, or slightly higher, as depends upon capillary action@ The contents ofthe chamber 5"being' heated by a spirit lamp or other device, the-water within the tube 11 will be-;expanded,xand

owing'to'such expansion and the generation.

the upper end of the tube, the valve 20'1'W1ll be lifted from its seat, permitting the entrance of liquid from the body 1 into the chamber 5 through the inlet passage. This liquid will be heated and ejected through the,

tube 11, the valve preventing circulation in the opposite direction. This operation will continue until an infusiornof the desired strength is made. 7

The action of the apparatus will be-very quick, the liquid-being ejected through the fountain a few secondsafter thelamp is introduced in place. One advanta e. that this device has is that all of the liquid which is ejected through the fountain must pass through the chamber 5, consequently is heated,'therefore all the liquid which comes in contact with the coiiee is ot high temperature, which greatly improves the flavor of the infusion and increases the speed necessary to produce an infusion of the desired strength. The air chamber 17 insulates the contents of the body 1 from the contents of the chamber 5 and preventsthe liquid in the lower part of the body from being elevated in temperature. I It also serves the purpose of retaining. all of the heat within the chamber 5, consequently the eiiiciency of the device is improved.

By my invention I produce a device which is very readily cleaned, as thefountain may be lifted out of the chamber 5, and the latter chamber is sufliciently lar e toibe cleaned without the need ofs'pecrr'al"tools. By unscrewing the cover 16 from the casing 13, the valve 20 may be reached and cleaned as may also the inside of'the easing and thle) outside of the expanded portion of the tu e 11. i

It will be seen .that t'hie alve i'es ts'upon' its seat until it is elevated by the pressure of the liquid being greater in" the body 1 than in the chamber 13. I avoidthe use of springs for closing the ,valve and avoid the use of a valve which is carried upon hinges.

chamber up the tube 11 and never come in contact with'the valve-l2. This I regard as a very important advantage over devices in which a valve is in direct communication with the ejecting tube of the fountain.

The use of the casing 13 and the tube 11 lying concentrically within it produces a circulating system which comprises two pas sages for admitting liquid into the chamber.

5 and removin it therefrom. One of these tubes lies within the other, consequently the device is rendered very compact.

Fig. 7 illustrates a modification in which the air chamber is omitted. The fountain I in this form does not rest upon the shoulder 10, but the sidewalls 23 taper as shown, and engage with the inner surface of the side of the small chamber 5, which should be tapered to correspond.- By this means the lower extremities of the inlet and outlet tubes will be above the bottom of the chamber. Both passages end upon the same longitudinal plane. As indicatedin Figs. 2, 5 and 7, the lower extremities in the inlet and outlet passages need not be upon the same horizontal plane, although in the embodi-' sary to have the beginning of the outlet pas sage extend into the chamber 5, as with the construction shown in Fig. 1, the lower extremity of the outlet passage can terminate above the upper end of. such chamber. In such construction the liquid will be deflected into thechamber in passing downward through the inlet passage irrespective of the fact that the tube 12' does not extend down into such chamber.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of my invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the apparatus shown is merely illustrative and that the invention can be carried out in other ways. Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A fountain for a coffee machine, having an outlet tube, a valve casing surrounding and inclosing one end of said tube, said tube extending into the casing, a. port in the wall of the casing, and a valve surrounding the outlet tube, and resting by gravity upon the wall of the casing, and closing the port, the wall of the casing where the valve engages the same being arranged at an angle to the vertical.

2. A fountain for a cofl'ee machine which comprises a tube forming an outlet passage, a casing surrounding the tube and having a reduced portion which forms an inlet passage, the cover of the casing being permanently secured to the tube which forms the outlet passage and removably secured to the casing.

This specification signed and witnessed this 21st day of August, 1907.

CHARLES NELSON.

Witnesses:

LEONARD H. Dyan, J. F. COLEMAN. 

